Toy loading station



March 30, 1948. Q p, ERHARDT 2,438,603 I 'roY LOADING STATION Y Filed Feb. 22, 1944 l 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEY March 30, 1948. i o. P. ERHARDT 2,438,603-

TOY LOADING STATION Filed Feb. 22, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR March 30, 1948. o, P, ERHARD-r n 2,438,603

TOY LOADING S TATION Filed Feb. 22, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOR @40o/z 5? Uw/.26th, BY l ZI ATTORNEY March 30, 1948.l o. P. ERHARDT j 2,438,603

TOY LOADING STATION Filed Feb. 22, 1944 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mar. 30, 1948 TOY LOADING STATIQNfsJi Oscar P, Erhardt, West Haven,

The' A.. C; GilbertCompany,NevifHzwen,CuringW a corporation `of. Maryland This invention relates to aitoy ralwayracces: sory in the nature of a unitary cranestation which may be powered. and controlledelectrit f cally if desired for loading .toy fiat. carsf..auto,.. matically with imitative logs lor with any.. other .5 toy articles fashioned toiimitate railwaygfreight y materials.

A crane station ofr this general nature.is..ds.,...v closed in a copending .applicationSerialrNo... 1. 407,769, now United States PatentNo. 2,373,271, .10 granted April 10, 1945,;ownedby the assignee.- ot the present application, and certain. featu1es;., common to the disclosures of both applications-....- are claimed in the said copending application.,

One object of the invention is to provide agl low cost apparatus .of this nature in ,unitary form whichshall be sturdy anddurable and.pr.oof against easily getting out of order. A related .object is to shield the working partseiiectivellslA` by means lof their structural ldisposition relative .20 to the supporting frame structure of the appa- L ratus. p

Another; object `is to provide an improved mechanismfor transferring toy logs or othertoy loadk articles one ata time to the carryingsupeaz port of a crane'trolley preceding. an excursion of the latter for conveying the toy logs-or other'iY toy articles from a supply thereof to. aposition; Whereithey vmay be loaded upon -atoy rari1W ay.... car. v A related object is to make use ofchucker `r3.0 mechanism, `additional to all mechanism;which.-.` travels With the Vcrane trolley, for lodging the. toy ,load Vin the retaining lhold of the trolley@ which chucker mechanism according yto the present improvements remains at a permanentlyv A35 xed point in the crane stationv duringtravelof the crane trolley.

A further object is to provide a unidirectional actuating element for causing the crane f.tro1ley..,.. to perform areciprocative excursion andfalso I40 automatic cycle controls operative torterminate. the unidirectional movement of such trol-ley Eactuating element after the completion of eaohcem` a cursionof the crane trolley.

A still further object is to place .the power l45 drive for the crane trolley and a `separate actu-1. ator for the chucker mechanism bothfunder .elec-r:Y trical controlmanagedv at a point.` remote from,. the crane station.

A particular object is to Vprovide a crane trolley.50 with a toy log clutch claw adapted to exert gthree: point clutching pressure against the log.

Other objects are to conceal apower motor-for the apparatus yWithin a toy controllerhousein.- corporated inthe framework of.I the .crane sta- 2 L. tion,and.to arrangeahaseiplatform of` thesta tionato serve. as a.-.bin` 4Whose -rear or' receivin' sideijis. disposed. tol receive-logs frongtoyjs dumping vsupplyfcars suchaas disclosed'n" UI." Patent. No. 5 2,356,280fnd l by the.cranestationonetby onefat a'delive location. somerdstance from the 4supphzcar v`such as ontotanotherlcar .stan'dng'll at: the'irot opposite vdischarging.side..of'l the ilcraneJs'tati Theif'oregwoing .andi otherlobjccts'. ofgth'fe "'nve W Fig-l2 isla plan view takenpartlyin sectio'hf' on the horizontaLplanelf-Z in`IEig.1.wi`th`. r tain..parts broken away: vto exposeaunderlyin Fig. isla, view .similar to Eig.; '2 .sh`owingt the craneiconveyor trolley the iact .cti droppin toy ,log onto the railway-car aftera..ha1f.@cycle;;. of automatic.craneeoperation l Figt4 4Qis va .View .taken mostly `in ,-seetionon th verticaLplane-A-ed-in Fig.3.llooking,in,th`e direce, tionl of the arrows. .A

1=ig..5,is` an outsideyiew .of-'f the .front lor.y car .a loading; side ,of the cranefstationwithW aftoy fla l car standing onthe toy railway trackY `irrjpostlon a to be., loaded twith,\logs.;-. a.

v Fig. 6 `iswan enlarge .-.isometric..vievvQof` th nl. cycle controlling :electricmswitchffdetached ironia.; its supporting structure:y .L

Fig.. 8j is an.- enlarged-E-isometric jviewaoffthe log chucker; removed-from.. itstplaceebeneath.. the .bin platformt Fig. 9tis .-a diagram offthe electriccircuitcon@r it nections..

t The ,-.-frame .-.structure- @offva nlog loading. stationir'. embodying the present invention. may .betfancifult in appearance.,.and. is.repres.ente.d. herein` asf als skeletonized vs.trnct1.1re-.designated Jn." preferalya resembling. structural,steel.. `Work consistinglof fourauprig-ht...channelgirders `oitlattice 'posts V i gear of reduction train beyondthe periphery of the wheel.

, rivets iti,l

at the corners of a base area that is spanned at a low point by a doubly inclined bin platform I2 containing at the lowest point of its trough-like shape spaced slots I3 that are nearer together than the length of a toy log I6. two front posts stand beside toy railroad tracks I4 on which a toy flat car l5 is shown in endwise view positioned to be loaded automatically with the logs I6 taken onerat a time from a supply reposing on bin platform I2 which may be referred to as a repository for kthe logs. The tops of posts II are spanned by aroof structure 20 which overhangs platform l2 and projects over the toy tracks I and also serves to support an imitative crane operators huse'2l.

On the roof structure 26 within house 2| there positioned is xedly mounted an electric motor 2'2 having an armature shaft 23 xedly carrying a pinion 24 that drives a train of reduction gears 25 journaled in spaced bearing plates 26 that are fixed in relation to the stator of motor 22. The slow y 25 together with a large crankkwheel 3l are rotatably fixed on vertical shaft 30 that is journaled in plates 25. Wheel 3| thereby isrrotated counterclockwise in Figs. 2V

and 3 on occasions by motor 22.

Crank wheel 3l ,carries a lug 32 of insulating `material for operating electric switch contacts,

which lug may be xed on wheel 3l by rivets 33,1011 otherwise, in a manner to project radially In'the path of lug 32 a spring leaf type of conductive electric l contact 34 is secured by rivets 35, or otherwise,to

a base bar 36 of insulating material that is rigidly mounted on roof structure 28, as by means of an angle bracket 31 which may be xed on base bar 36by rivets 38 and xed on roof structure 20 by rivets 39, or otherwise. For circuit-making an additional cross brace 68. Each side plate 61V tongue 12 is caused to press against a toy log contact with the movable end of leaf-spring i contact34 there is also secured on bar 36 by or otherwise, a, stationary circuit terminal 66. Binding posts and 46 are mounted on and in insulated relation to roof structure 20 and serve as convenient points of connection for lead wires 41 and i8 and other circuit connections diagrammed in Fig. 9.

At an intermediate I2 and roof structure xedrelation to frame which may consist of 2|) there is incorporated in I0 an inclined runway 5d two laterally spaced rigid stationary tracks 55 extending from the front` nose beam I9 of roof structure 2u in Figs. 1 and 4 to a relatively lower point above bin platform I2. At this point the angle strips which serve as tracks 55 are bent to extend upward to a fixed anchorage at'52 on frame I6. VA log conveying trolley 56 is equipped with four wheels 51 having axles 53 and spaced to roll on tracks 55 when trolley 56 is its runway 54 and then released to return toits starting point. This hauling of trolley 56 is performed by a cable cord 58 tied to an anchorage' 60'on crossbar 59 of the trolley frame structure block'Z whose anchor hook 63 s wingably engages an aperture Edin the nose beam I9 of the roof structure. The other end of cable cord 58 is tied to a swivel eye 65 that pivotally connects to a stud 66 which is fixed in the rim of crank wheel 3Iand projects downward therefrom as shown in Figs. land 4. Y v' The -'aforementioned frame of trolley 55 includeslside plates 61 of like shape Vhung from the level between bin platform hauled forwardly upward onv and runs around a sheave 6I of the pulley' wheel axles 53 andsecured in rigid spaced relaf V tion 2by the aforesaid cross bar 59 as well as by Spring tween clamp plate Vplunger 98 operating within by the urge of an axially expansible spring coil 'I3 against clamp plate 18 in the direction of seats 69. Spring wcoil 13 loosely surrounds shank 14 `of a log releasing plunger 15 which passes through and has a slide bearing nt in each of bar 59 and cross brace 63 and which has free clearance through an aperture in clamp plate 16.

13 is always under axial compression be- 16 and cross brace 68 thereby constantly urging the clamp plate toward the log seats 69 and against stop ears 18 turned inward from each side plate 61 as shown in Figs. l and '1. In Figs. 4 and "1 Yit is shown that thrust Vears 16 are nipped up out of the metal of shank 18 for enabling the clamp plate 10 to relay the forward thrust of spring 'I3 to the release plunger Y 1G, 15 and conversely for enabling a pressure, directed rearwardly on plunger 15, to force clamp plate lll in a direction away from log seats 69fas shown in Fig. 4. The extremerear end of shank 14 may also be nipped to provide thrust ears 11 thus preventing shank 14 from beingA accidentally Y pulled forward out of engagement with Vcross brace 68.

From the foregoing description it will be seen that the combined seat 69 and clamp platelil form in effect a downward opening lclaw giving admittance to a toy log that may be lifted from below into the clutch turned inward from the bottom edges of trolley sides 61 underlie tracks 69, 10 is normally stationed directly above'the chucker head 83 by a stop 85 upstandingly xed on tracks 55. The chucker head 83 is carried at the front end of two spaced hinge arms 88 fixed in relation thereto and each hinge arm atV its rear end 89 loops about a hinge pin 56 supported at each of its endsin a stationary bearing bracket Si secured to frame Ill'by screws 92, Y

washers 93 and retaining nuts 98; VHinge pin 98 may be pinched to form the thrust ,ears 95. For actuating the chucker 8,2 a Vcrank pin rod V96 is welded or otherwise xedly secured to the hinge arms 88 in parallel relation to strip 83 and projects engaged by the looped end 91 of a vertical lifter rod 98 on whose upper end is fixed a magnetic the field of pull of an electric solenoid |60 whose top end is Viixedly secured to a mounting bracket I6! riveted or otherwise fastened to the frame I!! at 162. n

In the diagram Ofconnections in Fig'. 9, aV

duplex, momentary or self opening'manual push of this claw.V Stop ears 18` 55 with sliding clearance and prevent lifting of the trolley from the track.

For this purpose the working Vhead of this Y the bin platform. Claw'V lat one side of the chucker to be pivotally button switch is indicated as a whole by |106 hav'- ing two supply main contacts |01', la motorl circuit contact lili! and a solenoid circuit contact |09. Circuit can momentarily be made through |01, |08 by pushing the self-lifting contact bridging button IH), and can be made through |01, |09 by pushing a like button Buttons H0, are optionally operable so there is no restriction in the sequence or relationship in which the motor and solenoid circuits can manually be made or broken.

Fig. 4 indicates in broken lines that another toy flat car I5 similar to car I5 may ride on tracks I4 to a position adjoining the rear edge of the bin platform l2 so that the car l5 can act to dump its load of logs i5 on the platform I2 on which they will by gravity roll down to the full line positions shown in Fig. 4 ready to be lifted by the chucker 82 one by one into the grasp of thje carrying claw ofv crane trolley 56. Car I5 may be constructed in accordance with the afore- Said Patent 2,356,280 or copending application Serial No, 469,046 or otherwise. The unloading and delivering of logs at one side of the crane station followed by the sequential pickup and delivery of the logs deposited thereon to an empty toy car at the other side of the crane station produces a logical chain or continuity of imitative industrial operations that enhances the appeal of the toy to the imagination of older boys because of its realism and the greater fullness of automatic performance wherein the operator of the crane station need never touch with his hands the toy logs or other toy articles in order to accomplish their unloading from one car, followed by their transfer and reloading onto a different car.

Reviewing the operation of the crane station with particular reference to the electric wiring diagram of Fig. 9., the crane trolley 55 will normally stand in its position shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 5 with the chucker 82 lowered against, stop 8| as shown in Fig. 4. Assuming that the operator presses the self returning push button H i of momentary switch unit |06, solenoid will thereby be energized and draw the chucker 82 smartly upward until its movement is abruptly halted by striking the bottom of platform I2 causing the chucker to lift and catapult upward whatever log It is directly over it thus to ning and lodge such log between claw seats E9 and the yieldable leaf-spring clamp 12 as shown in Fig. l. The operator may now push self returning button llt! of momentary switch unit |06 temporarily closing Circuit through motor 22 which in the meanwhile has been standing deenergized because the normally self-closing contacts 34, til have been held open by the crank wheel lug 32. Immediately the crank wheel starts to rotate slowly counterclockwise in Figs. 2, 3 and 9 promptly releasing spring leaf contact 34 from the lug 32 whereupon the former automatically lexes into conductive engagement with contact terminal 50 as shown in Figs. 3 and 6. The circuit through the motor is now maintained closed even when the operator releases switch button ID breaking circuit through |08. Thus crank wheel 3| will continue to be rotated by motor 22 from the position in Fig. 2 to the position in Fig. 3 during which half revolution of wheel 3| the draft cable 58 is pulled to haul crane trolley B forward and upward on the runway 55 until its plunger head 'l5 bumps against the nose beam I9 and thus causes the claw clamp I2 to open against the resistance of spring 13 freeing the log I'S which thereupon drops onto the -toy car I 5'- as it is shown inthe act of` doing in Fig. 4. Continued coun-terclockwise rotation of crank wheel 3| will pay out cable 58 permitting the weight of' trolley 56 to cause it to coast backward down the runway 55 to its starting position shown in Fig. 1 wherein it is arrested by the track stop 85, At this time the crank wheel lug 32 has arrived at its starting position shown in Figs. v2 and 9 and acts on leaf contact 34 to break the circuit to the motor whereupon all parts come to rest and the crane station is ready 'to repeat the automatic cycle o'faction described.

It may be notedV that the present improvements provide a construction in which diierent parts of the apparatus may easily be removed as a unit for replacement or repair without disturbing or disassembling other units of the apparatus. For example the crane trolley 56 may be removed without disturbing motor 22 orv chucker 812 and the same is true of each of the motor and the chucker.

It will be realized that many forms of the invention are possible which may vary as to the size and shape and relative disposition of the structural parts referred to in the appended claims, wherefore the language of the claims is intended to cover and apply to all substitutes and equivalents fairly ccmprehended by the terms used in the claims.

I claim:

1. In a toy crane station for transferring toy articles from a repository t'o a delivery location some distance therefrom, the combination of, a repository for toy load articles in said station, a crane track in saidr station, a trolley supported by said track to perform an article conveying excursion therealong away from and back to an article receiving position proximate said repository, and means operative to transfer a toy load article from said repository to said trolley constructed and arranged to remain at said repository while said trolley performs its said excursion.

2. In a toy crane station for transferring toy articles from a repository to a delivery location, the combination of, a repository for toy load articles at a. relatively low level in said station, a crane track at a relatively high level in said station, a trolley supported by said track to perform an article conveying excursion away from and backto an article receiving, position above said repository, and mechanism separate from said trolley including a lifter member movably anchored in a permanent location relative to said repository to be operable at said location in a manner to transfer a toy load article from said repository to said trolley.

3. In a toy crane station, the combination defined in claim 2, in which the said repository is constructed and vshaped to shed toy logs one at a time toward a relatively low point thereof7 and the said lifter member is movable upward toward the said trolley from said low point in the repository.

4. In a toy crane station, the combination dened in claim 2, in which, the said lifter member is normally positioned beneath the saidrepository and said repository includes a sloping platform containing an aperture at the foot of its slope too small to admit one of the said toy load articles therethrough while large enough to admit the said lifter member therethrough.

5. In a toy crane station, the combination dened in claim 2, in which the said trolley includes a clawy device extending downward below together Ithe said track constructed and arranged to re- Yingly grasp one of the said toy articles.

6. In a toy crane station, the combination dened in claim 2, in which the said trolley includes a spring claw device opening downward toward the said lifter member, and said lifter member is constructed and arranged to rise into suiiicient proximity to said claw device to deliver into the retaining grasp of the latter one of the said toy articles.

7. In a toy crane station, the combination defined in claim 2, in whichV the said trolley includes a claw constructed and arranged to receive from the said lifter member and automatically to clutch one of the said toy articles, with instrumentalities operative to cause said claw to open and release said toy article from its clutch consequent upon the arrival of said trolley at a predetermined point along said track,V said instrumentalities including cooperatively engaging elements in part carried by said trolley and in part stationed in relation to said track. A

8.*In a toy crane station, the combination defined in claim 2, in which the said crane track is inclined upward from the said article receiving position of the said trolley to the Ysaid article discharging position of the latter, thereby enabling said trolley to coast from its latter said position to its first said position. Y

9. In a toy crane station, the combination, defined in claim 2, in which the said trolley ininclined to cause the said trolley to coast downward thereon in one direction, together with a trolley `impelling crank device mounted to revolve unidirectionally, and a cable connected to said trolley and also so connected to said crank that alternate half revolutions of the latter first haul saidrtrolley forward up said inclined track and then permit the trolley to down said inclined track.

l0. In a toy crane station, the combination denned in claim 2, together with an electric motor, a single revolution crank device connected to be rotated by said motor repeatedly in the same direction, draft connections so operatively relating said crank device and the said trolley that one revolution of the former causes the latter to complete its said excursion of travel, and electric circuit controlling means for said motor arranged to be actuated mechanically by said crank device in a manner automatically to stop said motor at the end of one full revolution of said crank device.

1l. In a toy crane station, the combination'defined in claim 2, together with an Yelectric solenoid for actuating the said lifter member having a magnetic plunger reciprocative in Ya vertical path mechanically coupled to said member in a manner to pull the latter upward.

l2. In a toy crane station, the combination dened in claim 2, together with an electro-magnetic Yactuator mechanically connected to the said lifter Ymember in latter upward, and an electric motor mechanically connected to the said trolley in a manner to impel the latter intermittently in at .least one direction, separate electric circuits containing said actuator andl said motor, and independently operable electric switches electrically connected to control said separate circuits and juxtaposi- .tioned at a common control station remote vfrom the crane station Y 13. VIn a toy crane station, the combination dea manner to Yforce theV Y coast backward in which the said trolley includes a claw device projecting downward toward the said repository, and the said lifter member comprises a chucker, Vtogether with an actuator operative to impel -said chucker upward in a manner to catapult a toy load article into the retaining clutch of Ysaid claw device.

i4. In a toy crane station, the combination deiined in claim 2,(in which the said trolley includes a depending claw Vfor clutching one ofthe said toy load articles, said claw including a retractable clamp with spring means urging said clamp inV a direction to clutch said toy load article. Y o

15. In a toy crane station, the combination defined in claim 2,'in which the said trolley includes a depending claw for clutching one of the said toy load articles, said claw includinga retractable clamp with spring means urging said clamp in a direction to clutch said toy load article, together with cooperative instrumentalities in part carried by said trolley and in part stationed at a predetermined point along said track operatively .related to said clamp in a manner to retract the latter in a direction to lined in claim 2,

Vrelease said toy load article and let it fall from said trolley when the latter reaches said predetermined point-in its travel along said track.

16. In a toy crane station, the combination defined in claim 2, in which the said Ytrolley includes a depending claw for clutching one of the said toy load articles, said claw including a retractable clamp with spring means urging` said clamp in a direction to clutch said toy load article, together with a buffer stationed in fixed relation to said track, and a clamp retracting device projecting toward said buier from said trolley operative when forced against said buffer by the travel of said trolley to overcome said spring and retract said clamp thereby to release and let fall said toy load article. Y

17. In a toy crane station, the combination de fined in claim 2,V in which the said lifter member includes a chucker Vhead shaped to, cradle a toy log,- and an arm pivotally mounted to swing beneath the said repository carrying said chucker head at the free/end thereof.

18. In apparatus for automatically handling toy logs, a repository platform structure providing an elongated channel adapted to seat a toy log lengthwise thereon and having two apertures spacedapart lengthwise of said channel, and a toy log Alifting member beneath said platform'mounted to move up and down and having two upstanding arms xed together in a manner to be elevated in unison through said apertures respectively, j thereby to engage simultaneously with points-on a toy log spaced apart lengthwise thereof vwhile said log rests in said channel and overlies both of said apertures, whereby said arms lift saidlog from said channel and prevent it from tipping.

19. In apparatus for handling toy logs, a crane Vtrolley including a wheeled carriage frar e and a log clutching claw composedof laterally separated concave claw seats facing in a common horizontal direction carried by said trolley frame in fixed relation thereto, and a clamp member having a concave surfacefacing toward said concave seats located laterally therebetween, whereby three-point clutching pressure is exerted againstrsaid .log when the latter is held in said claw. Y

20. A. .toy .crane station embodying in combination, an .elevated frame structure, a toy crane controller house atop said structure, a crane track supported on said frame below said controller house,- a crane trolley riding on said track, a motor in said controller house, and a crank wheel pivotally supported to rotate on a vertical axis between said controller house and said crane track, said crank wheel having connections to transmit power from said motor to said trolley.

21. A toy crane station as defined in claim 19,

10 in which the said crank wheel connections include a flexible return cable extending from the said crank wheel to the said trolley, together with a sheave anchored on the said frame structure occupying and holding the bight of said cable at a distance from both said crank wheel and said trolley.

OSCAR P. ERHARDT.

Certificate of Correction Patent No. 2,438,603. March 30, 1948. OSCAR P. ERHARDT It is hereby certified that errors appear in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Column 7, line l33, claim 9, for trolley inrea.d crane track is; column 9, line 9, for the claim reference numeral 19 read 20; and that the said Letters Patent should be reed With these corrections therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Oiice.

Signed and sealed this 8th day of June, A. D. 1948.

THOMAS F. MURPHY,

lasista/nt' omnm'ssz'oner of Patents. 

